Introduction.
The Madeira Film Festival is non – competitive. Rather than present awards MFF offers delegates the status of ‘AMBASSADOR OF THE LAURISSILVA’ thus helping to preserve and create awareness of Madeira’s endemic Laurissilva forest.
Due to the coveted location, quality facilities and unique atmosphere, the Madeira Film Festival has quickly become the key annual film event on Madeira. Still a relatively nascent festival, filmmakers personally present their films at the noble Municipal Theatre in Funchal. Madeira’s geographical immersion within nature i.e. the Atlantic Ocean warrants it appropriate to screen films which deliberate content associated with the natural world furthermore augmented by our essays to preserve and create awareness of the Laurissilva forest. The 2012 filmic repertory offerings included such treats as ‘ Bestiare’ by Denis Cote , ‘The Tsunami & The Cherry Blossom’ by Lucy Walker and ‘Le Quattro Volte’ by M. Frammartino.
During the first edition in 2012 The Municipal Theatre played host to the Kyle Eastwood Band sponsored by Madeira Wine. Accompanied by a London-based crew of stellar young musicians worthy of wide recognition — pianist Andrew McCormack, tenor saxophonist Graeme Blevins, trumpeter Quentin Collins and drummer Martyn Kaine — Eastwood and company blend infectious grooves and outstanding improvisations wooing the audience with soothing and dynamic, bursting jazz. Kyle Eastwood has also gained recognition as composer of great film music. The soundtracks for the smash hits „Million Dollar Baby”, „Invictus”, „Gran Torino”, „Mystic River” and „Flags of Our Fathers” all stem from his pen.
Following the success of the first edition and in acquiesce with the City Hall of Funchal the 2013 edition enabled us to screens all the films at the Municipal Theatre whilst the seminars and workshops continued to be held at Reid’s Palace Hotel. Alexandre O Phillipe, an established documentary filmmaker, conducted a most interesting workshop entitled ”David Lynch and the Strange Path to Creativity” where participants delved deeper into the extraordinary mind, techniques and truly original creative processes of filmmaker/artist and American icon David Lynch. Sharing the theatre’s stage the charming and astonishing Maria de Medeiros performed accompanied by a quartet of musicians including the flamboyant Edmundo Carneiro on drums. Maria, especially know for her role as Fabienne in Pulp Fiction has many facets including acting and directing yet on a faithful night in April she entranced the audience with her singing and musical prowess.
Within the 2013 kaleidoscope of audio- visual entertainment, ‘Chasing Ice’, ‘The Hunter’, ‘Beasts Of The Southern Wild’ and ‘The Fifth Season’ signified the festival’s ongoing commitment to screen nature related films and consequently create awareness of Madeira’s Laurissilva forest.
